INDEPENDENT NEWS

Nats Cry Foul Over School Property Fund

Published: Thu 6 Sep 2001 01:59 PM
National's Education spokesperson Gerry Brownlee is questioning how the $20 million of property funding was allocated after 13% of the fund went to Avondale College, in the Prime Minister's electorate, who already have fabulous facilities.
"When a school's own principal is questioning the logic of the allocation of the money because his school has 'some of the best facilities in the country' and he doesn't even know 'in which aspect of the new national standard his school was deficient', some serious explaining needs to be done.
"The Prime Minister seems to think Avondale College needs 13% of the fund saying the money for the college 'reflected the importance the Government placed on bringing every school to a new property standard'.
"Hundreds of schools around the country that look like the poor cousins to Avondale College are asking when will the Prime Minister place the same importance on them?
"The Minister needs to explain how this inequity happened. The decision to give a $2.6 million property fund handout to the stunning Avondale campus makes a joke of the funding formula.
"The funding formula for the secondary school property guide is so out of step with the real needs of New Zealand's secondary schools one has to question what's going on in the Beehive," Mr Brownlee said.
Ends

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